Pewter medals turning yellow?

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DarkLight

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I got a couple of cheap pewter medals and they ended up turning a sort of yellow-gold color. Does anyone know how to remove this and if there’s some sort of polish I could apply that would keep it from happening again? That or get them all to turn completely if I can’t get rid of it. One of the medals has changed color completely, but the other two are sort of a mottled dirty look.
 

Are you sure they are pewter and not just a base alloy of some sort?

For inexpensive medals, you might want to coat them in a clear coat when you first get them. Clear nail polish is inexpensive and does a good job.
 
TheLittleLady said:
Are you sure they are pewter and not just a base alloy of some sort?

For inexpensive medals, you might want to coat them in a clear coat when you first get them. Clear nail polish is inexpensive and does a good job.
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I’m sure I paid less than a dollar per medal, so no, I really am not sure what they’re made of. Other than that it sure isn’t sterling silver or actual gold of any sort! The crucifix and findings are from a different sort and they’re holding their color.
 
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Those are likely what, in the religious goods catalogs are called “base alloy”. The mystery meat of jewelry 😉
 
TheLittleLady said:

Are you sure they are pewter and not just a base alloy of some sort?

For inexpensive medals, you might want to coat them in a clear coat when you first get them. Clear nail polish is inexpensive and does a good job.
Click to expand...
This sounds like I great idea!

Thanks for sharing.

I could benefit from this too, as I buy these types of medals, and the finish wears off for me, too.

I’m wondering if the finish underneath isn’t maybe brass?

Just guessing/speculating.

I’m also thinking that it might be a mix like some of you are also thinking, because sometimes my skin will “turn green” where the medals have touched my skin, and that tends to happen to me when I am wearing jewelry that has copper in it. 🙂
 
Yeah I’m thinking it might be brass as well. I may simply see if I can hurry the process along for the other two medals. The color underneath is not unattractive once the finish is gone completely rather than simply mottled and dirty-looking.
 
Wheee!

Unfortunately I just had a bunch of dental work, so no cake for me. :cry::cry::cry::cry::cry:
 
The medal is probably has what is called a silver tone base. The medal is made out of something like a copper alloy and then dipped in something that coats the thing giving it a silver color. That coating wears off with time, and you end up with the base metal coloring like yellow.
 
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